Tag Archives: heart health

Did you ever wonder if working all those long work days and weeks are paying off health wise? Those long hours may pay off financially, however there is growing evidence that they may be raising your risk of atrial fibrillation. A-fib is an irregular and often rapid heartbeat that can cause blood clots and other complications. A huge study of more than 85,000 men and women found that those who worked at least 55 hours per week were 40% more likely to develop a heart complication of atrial fibrillation compared to workers who only worked 35-40 hours per week. Only 10% of those in the study had pre-existing heart conditions prior to the study. Though our brain tells us to shut down at the end of the work day, our heart may be telling us the same thing!!

Wow, what weather we have had in our area. Hope everyone and their vehicles and houses made out ok. Lots of tree damage and hail damage. Speaking of damage, did you know that many years ago one doctor decided that dietary fat was what caused heart disease? This ideology was then sanctioned by the WHO. They determined that animal fat and cholesterol in our diet was the culprit. Did you know that 75% of people who have a heart attack have normal cholesterol? The more our society has tried to lower cholesterol and trim the fat, the worse heart disease in this country has gotten. Talk about damage! The enemy is sugar, and foods labeled “low fat” and “heart healthy.” These foods equate to significantly more sugar in the diet and perpetuate inflammation within our bodies. Those are the factors that increase the risk of heart disease. We must eliminate most processed foods from the diet, read the labels, stay informed. It might help you avoid meds such as Lisinopril, Metoprolol, Norvasc, Diuril.

Did you know eggs are so much better for you than you probably know? I admit that I love eggs, mostly for breakfast. For years many people avoided the yolk to have a healthier egg based meal. The truth is, eating just the egg whites is NOT doing you any health favors. Though there are a few less calories without the yolk, the nutritional value of the egg reduces significantly and the you lose the protein value. Forget the cholesterol also, as research shows the cholesterol (HDL) is good for you and it really doesn’t have any substantial effect on serum cholesterol values, nor does it have any substantial impact for increasing the risk for coronary heart disease or stroke! Two eggs over easy please, with whole wheat toast!

Did you know that those diet products you eat are probably making you fat? This may be why. Keep in mind that this is a study about rats, however, those rats that were fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet, added the same amount of fat as the control rats who were fed a balanced diet. Unfortunately, they only needed HALF the amount of calories to add the same amount of body fat. In other words, those rats on the low fat, high-sugar diets needed less than half the calories to generate the same amount of fat. Scary eh! This diet also resulted in chronic brain inflammation and intestinal tract inflammation as well as possibly contributing to non-alcoholic fatty liver. Please take heed of this information. We know that inflammation is also a driver in cardiovascular disease..!!

I touched on a study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine in which they concluded that we should rethink worrying about lowering saturated fat in our diets to prevent heart disease. They conclude it is more important to focus on decreasing insulin resistance and inflammation in the body by targeting exercise, diet and reducing stress. During a review of previous studies the researchers found that even those people who lowered there LDL cholesterol and overall cholesterol and replaced their saturated fat with omega-6 fatty acids, still had a higher rate of death. Researchers went on to say that we should concentrate on a Mediterranean style diet. The problem is that when people try low fat diets (to avoid saturated fats) they tend to eat more refined carbs which leads to insulin resistance, higher blood sugar, higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The bottom line is that we as a society must be more focused on lifestyle changes that prevents insulin resistance and reduces inflammation.

I am always amazed when I read health news. It seems as soon as one study comes out, the next research contradicts the previous one. I read an interesting but controversial article where the researchers (three cardiologist from Britain) say that saturated fat does not clog your arteries and that the “clogged pipe” model of heart disease is “plain wrong.” They go on to say that in people over 60, the number one risk factor for heart attacks is inulin resistance, driven by a number of dietary factors, especially increased sugar and other refined carbohydrates. In other words, its not the saturated fat in your burger that causes the problem, it is the bun, fries and sugary drink that you wash it down with, that you should be concerned with. Remember inflammation is a driver of cardiovascular disease and pro-inflammatory ingredients are the sugars, refined carbs and industrial seed oils found in processed foods. I will have a bit more on this next time!

We all know that what you eat greatly affects your health. Inflammation is a big driver in cardiovascular disease and other diseases as well, such as Rheumatoid arthritis. Foods that are high in simple sugars such as desserts or soda’s, can increase inflammation in our body. This can then increase the pain in our joints and contribute to other problems that may appear mundane in nature, however might become serious over time. There are many foods that fight inflammation and here are a few; olive oil, spinach, kale, broccoli, almonds, walnuts, fatty fish such as salmon, strawberries, blueberries and cherries. There are many more, but I haven’t enough time to list them all. Finally, the Mediterranean diet is a good way of eating, as it is higher in monounsaturated fats such as olive oil. These foods can literally reduce the inflammatory markers in your blood and keep you healthier and reduce pain symptoms. Bon appetit…!!

Do you take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Naproxen, Diclofenac, etc.) on a regular basis? I just read a study that found taking these over-the-counter meds on a regular basis, may increase your risk of a heart attack by as much as 30 percent. Apparently they can influence platelet aggregation, cause blood clots, cause arteries to constrict, increase fluid retention and raise blood pressure. Even though they are readily available drugs, they are not necessarily without risk especially if you have cardiovascular disease. It is a stark reminder that these drugs are not harmless. There are supplemental alternatives for these painkillers. Talk to your Chiropractor on how to get pain relief from safer and more natural resources.

Did you know that breakfast may be better for you than you may have previously known. The American Heart Association has recently released a scientific statement that breakfast is good for the heart. The AHA guidelines recommend eating breakfast every day, eating more calories earlier in the day and eating less calories in the later day. This can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. If you are among the 30% of American adults who skip breakfast, now may be the time to start eating that morning meal. Apparently, starting the day without those essential nutrients is not a good idea. Eat smart, healthy and your body will appreciate it!!!

WOW…did the holidays sneak up on this year or what? Now that the cholesterol laden season has finally passed, I wanted to give you some more good news about fish oil and heart health. A recent study found more evidence that omega-3 oils reduce heart problems. Those that took omega-3 fish oils had an 18% less risk of having a heart problem. Even those who were already at risk for developing heart problems seemed to benefit from fish oil. Remember that bad lifestyle factors such as smoking, poor diet choices and no exercise all help increase the risk of cardiovascular events. For the New Year, analyze your eating habits, back off on some bad vices and increase your exercise, even a little bit, and add fish oil to your diet…!!